Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Fernando and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $703 in San Fernando, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

San Fernando
🇵🇭 Philippines
$703
/mo nomad
Dhaka
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$406
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Fernando and in Dhaka

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Fernando and in Dhaka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $703 in San Fernando versus $406 in Dhaka.

  • San Fernando $703
  • Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,059 in San Fernando versus $687 in Dhaka.

  • San Fernando $1,059
  • Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,415 in San Fernando versus $969 in Dhaka.

  • San Fernando $1,415
  • Dhaka $969

Living in San Fernando is roughly 73% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Fernando 48% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Fernando
Dhaka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.01 ₱252
$2.28 ৳282
75.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.71 ₱1,052
$12.33 ৳1,523
35.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.88 ₱181
$3.95 ৳488
-27.09%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.48 ৳554
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.13 ৳510
-
Cappuccino
$1.77 ₱112
$2.28 ৳281
-22.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 ₱23.97
$0.33 ৳40.88
15.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ₱19.32
$0.16 ৳19.86
93.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.97 ₱61.2
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 ₱78.5
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Fernando
Dhaka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 ₱107
$0.85 ৳104
100.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.11 ₱70.1
$0.60 ৳74.5
85.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.99 ₱62.2
$0.69 ৳85.4
43.48%
Eggs
$2.00 ₱126
$1.23 ৳152
62.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.95 ₱311
$8.80 ৳1,087
-43.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.37 ₱212
$3.33 ৳412
1.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.79 ₱490
$6.63 ৳819
17.50%
Apples (1kg)
$2.19 ₱138
$2.85 ৳352
-23.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 ₱79.2
$0.90 ৳111
40.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.32 ₱146
$2.34 ৳289
-0.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.07 ₱67.1
$0.63 ৳78.4
69.84%
Potato (1kg)
$1.69 ₱106
$0.24 ৳29.59
604.17%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 ₱99.0
$0.46 ৳57.3
241.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.62 ₱39.14
$0.35 ৳42.79
77.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.09
$0.28 ৳34.24
89.29%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$12.11 ৳1,496
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$5.31 ৳656
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$6.42 ৳794
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.97 ₱187
$3.28 ৳405
-9.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.92 ₱561
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 ₱60.8
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 ₱81.7
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
San Fernando
Dhaka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 ₱16.12
$0.42 ৳52.3
-38.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.02 ₱694
$22.43 ৳2,772
-50.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.67 ₱41.89
$1.19 ৳147
-43.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.36
$0.39 ৳48.71
-41.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$0.94 ₱59.3
$3.28 ৳406
-71.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.01 ₱63.8
$1.10 ৳136
-8.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.3K ₱1.3M
$29.4K ৳3.6M
-27.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.0K ₱1.2M
$32.2K ৳4.0M
-41.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Fernando
Dhaka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$141 ₱8,907
$38.28 ৳4,729
269.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.77 ₱1,119
$4.09 ৳506
334.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.40 ₱1,473
$9.02 ৳1,114
159.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Fernando
Dhaka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.05 ₱2,018
$13.66 ৳1,688
134.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.68 ₱295
$10.21 ৳1,261
-54.16%
Cinema Ticket
$4.82 ₱303
$4.11 ৳508
17.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Fernando
Dhaka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$80.0 ₱5,033
$90.7 ৳11.2K
-11.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,118 ₱70.4K
$2,591 ৳320.2K
-56.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Fernando
Dhaka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$19.46 ₱1,225
$17.06 ৳2,108
14.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$16.21 ₱1,021
$21.38 ৳2,641
-24.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$32.14 ₱2,023
$51.4 ৳6,355
-37.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$48.08 ₱3,027
$36.78 ৳4,545
30.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Fernando
Dhaka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$262 ₱16.5K
$133 ৳16.4K
97.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$170 ₱10.7K
$65.1 ৳8,041
161.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$523 ₱32.9K
$377 ৳46.6K
38.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$356 ₱22.4K
$192 ৳23.8K
85.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,438 ₱153.5K
$1,621 ৳200.3K
50.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$994 ₱62.6K
$760 ৳93.9K
30.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Fernando
Dhaka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$339 ₱21.3K
$246 ৳30.4K
37.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6
10.48
-42.75%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for San Fernando: October 13, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Fernando
$183
Dhaka
$51 71.9% $131
Groceries & Markets
San Fernando
$170
Dhaka
$124 27.5% $47
Accommodation & Living
San Fernando
$170
Dhaka
$65 61.8% $105
Eating Out
San Fernando
$72
Dhaka
$59 17.6% $13
Clothing & Footwear
San Fernando
$52
Dhaka
$57 9.3% $4.8
Sport & Entertainment
San Fernando
$42
Dhaka
$22 47.5% $20
Getting Around
San Fernando
$14
Dhaka
$27 97% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $262 in San Fernando and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Fernando pays 38% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $17.00 in San Fernando vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $124 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 San Fernando
🇧🇩 Dhaka
🕒 Local time
22:06 10:06 PM
20:06 8:06 PM
2 h behind San Fernando
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
354,666
21,741,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Fernando Dhaka 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • San Fernando
  • Dhaka

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
San Fernando vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dhaka cheaper than San Fernando?
Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: San Fernando or Dhaka?
Average pay runs 38% higher in San Fernando, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between San Fernando and Dhaka?
Rent for a central apartment: $262 in San Fernando versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in San Fernando and in Dhaka?
All in, you'll spend $703 per month in San Fernando versus $406 in Dhaka – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 104% less than in San Fernando. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,000 enough for either San Fernando or Dhaka?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Dhaka gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in San Fernando or in Dhaka?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in San Fernando. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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